Dispensing device



AU8 6, 1940.. J. A. Mx-:LvlLL 2,210,250

DISPENSING' DEVICE Filed Dec. 8, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet l LAI/70;???

Aug. 6, 1940. 'J. A. MEM/ILLE 2.210.250

DISPENS ING DEVICE Filed Dec. s, 193'? s sheets-,sheen 2 Au'g. 6, '1940. J. A. MELVILLE 2.210,250

' DIsPENsI'NG DEVICE I Filed Dec. 8, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Aug. 6, 1940 UNITED STATES vmfrlzN'l OFFICE DISPENSING DEVICE JamesfA. Melville, Cranston, R. I.

Application December-8, 1937, Serial No. 178,757

8 Claims. (Cl. 22A-146) Figure 9, a central longitudinal section ,of the.

My invention relates to machines for delivering potatoes or other vegetables from sacks `to bags preferably of paper, and for packaging the same.

'Ihe essential objects of my invention are to save time and labor in delivering and packaging; to facilitate the loading of the sacks upon the hopper; to prevent choking or impeding delivery of the contentsv from the mouth of the sack; to permit the escape of the dust or earthy adhesions from the surfaces of the articles during their travel from the sack to the bag; to provide guiding means in the hopper for the articles in their travel to the point of discharge; to prevent choking of the discharge opening; to control the discharge of the articles tothe bag holder; to enable the determination of the weight of the articles in the bag holder at all times during said discharge; to provide means for prevention of tearing the bag during the lling operation and during the removal of the lled bag from the, holder; to control the height of the discharge end of the hopper; to enable easy operation; and to provide a construction whose parts permit disassemblage Vwhich form a Figure 3, -a fragmentary section of the same on line 3-3 of Figure 1, I

Figure 4, a longitudinal section of the same, partially in side elevation, taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2, showing in full lines the hopper in delivery position, andin broken lines in loading position,

, Figure 5, a fragmentary top plan view of the machine including a sack located therein and attached thereto,

Figure 6, a section taken on line 6 6 of Figure 4, l

Figure -7, a perspective view of the container sleeve,

. Figure 8, a reduced side elevation of the hopper and bag container, removed from the base of the machine and in cooperating relation lto each other,

hopper partly in side elevation, and a side ele-` vation of the bag container located in operative relation thereto, both removed from the base, the former embodying a modified form of the ad- 'justing means of the former member, and the broken lines showing the loading position of the same, and

Figure 10, an incomplete section taken on line Ill-#I of Figure 9.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the views.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawings forms thereof which are at present preferred by me, since the same will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited tothe precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

As shown inthe drawings a base I4 has fixed thereto by screws `I6 or otherwise standards I8, in whose upper endsare openings I9 toreceive a tubular threaded bearing shaft 2l adapted to receive detachable end screws y22 whose heads 23 are adapted to frictionally engage the standards, as shown in Figure 3. This shaft serves as a pivotal support for a hopper 25 for the potatoesv to be packaged.

- This hopper includes a front wall 26, a rear wall 21 lof less height than the front wall, a floor v28 and side walls 29 including parallel integral extensions .,or flanges 30 depending below the floor. 'I'he front vertical edges 32 of the extensions, as shown in Figure 4, are longer than their rear` vertical edges ,33, the intermediate portions 34 of their bottomA edges are convex or curved, and the uncurved portionsA 35 of said bottom edges are inclined. t Y v 'I'he floor 28 of the hopper comprises an upper sectiony 31 integral with the lower edge of the rear wall 2l at one end, and having a depending abutment wall 38 at itsfront end. The latter wall at its lower end is integral with a iloor section 39 lyingin a planeA parallel to, but below, the upper floor section 3l, and extending to and engaging the front wall 26. In this instance the lower iioor section 39 is xed by brazing or otherwise to abrace rod 4U fixed at its ends in the extensions 30. y

The front 'wall 26 of the hopper is provided midway its length with a vertical rectangular discharge opening 42. Forwardly directed inwardly converging guide plates 44, fixed at their rear ends adjacent the depending wall 38 by rivets 46 to the side walls 29, as shown in Figure 5, extend in contact with the floor section 39 to the front wall 26 at either side of the opening 42. As the forward ends of the guide plates are higher than the adjacent portions of the side Walls 29 of the hopper the guide plates are connected at their forward ends by a resultant web 48 above the discharge opening 42, which web constitutes in effect a vertical extension of the front wall of the hopper. A closure for the opening 42 includes a door 50 provided at its upper portion with lateral rearwardly directed lugs 5I provided with perforations 52 to loosely receive a pintle 53 xed in the forward portions of the guide plates 44. The door is normally held in closed position by an angular forwardly directed rod 55 fixed to the top margin of the door and carrying near its outer end a counterweight 56 adjustable upon the rod;

by a set screw 51.

The portion of the hopper above the upper oor section 31 constitutes a sack compartment 59, and

the portion of the hopper above the lower floor section 39 and within the guide plates constitutes a bin 60.

A bracing rod 62 connecting the extensions 30 contacts with the lower face of the upper floor 31 of the hopper, as shown in Figure-4, and isengaged by a hook 63 integral with an'attaching plate 64 fixed to the floor by a rivet 65. An oblong rack plate 61 to which is fixed a row of inwardly and upwardly -directed hooks 68 has its lower edge in contact with a cross bar 10 and is adapted to abut against the rear Wall of the hopper. This plate has a longitudinal recess 1| to admit a cross rod 12 upon which the plate has pivotal movement when necessary by turning a series ofA adjusting screws 14 in threaded perforations 15. By means of this construction the inclination of the hook series may be adjusted. In Figure 5 is shown a potato sack 11 of usualconstruction resting sidewise upon the floor section 31, with its closed end engaged by the hooks 68, and its opposite end open, as at 19, adapted to discharge its contents into the bin 60 below when the hopper is forwardly tilted. Y

The iioor section 3,9 of the bin, as sho-wn in Figure 5, is provided with numerous interstices or openings 8|, in this instance longitudinally disposed, to perform a screening effect upon the adhesions carried by the potatoes. For agitating or leveling the potatoes to facilitate their Vdef-rv livery through the discharge opening 42 a recip'- rocable rod 83, as shown inFigures 4 and5, is( pivotally attached, as at 84, to the bottom of the door, and is guided by a depending pin 86 slidable in one of the openings 8 I. An upright finger 81 upon the inner end of the rod 83 agitates the adjacent potatoes when the arm 55 is moved.

The hopper 25, when mounted on the shaft 23 has a tilting or rocking movement limited in its travel in one direction by means hereinafter referred to and limited in its movement in the opposite direction by a vertically adjustable stop` member consisting, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, of a cross bar 98 passing loosely lthrough selected perforations 92 disposed in Vertical series in the forward ends of the standards I8, and prevented from escape by a head 93 and cotter pin 94.upon its ends. The vertical disposition of the perforation vseries affords a selective variation of the height of the discharge opening 42 above thereceptacle intended to receive the articles from the hopper.

When the hopper is pivotally suspended Washers 96 loose on the bearing shaft 23 serve to space the hopper from the standards; and in order to prevent unusual speed in the movement of the hopper under heavy loads a braking means is provided as follows. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a spring detent arm 98 is xed at one end by rivets 99 to one of the standards I8 while its inwardly inclined free end portion AI 00 bears against one of the extensions 39 of the hopper. A nub |0| upon the portion |00 is adapted to register in a socket |82 in the extension immediately below the shaft 23 when it is desired to maintain the hopperin an approximately horizontal posi- Adjacent the forward ends of the'standards |8,`

midway its width, the base I4 is provided with an opening |05 closed by plates |06 and |01 fixed by screws |08 to the top and bottom of the base, as shown in Figures 4 and 6. A platform I I0 in the vertical plane of the forward portion of the hopper below the-door 52 has integral therewith a depending rack ||2 slidable through openings II3 in the closure plates. pending from the platform IIU, also slidably moves through perforations |`|6 in closure plates. A pinion II8, engaging the raclr I I2 is xed to a shaft I I9 rotatably mounted in brackets |2| fixed to the closure vplate |06. A gear |23 upon the shaft meshes with a gear |24 fixed to the lower end of a vertical pin'I25l passingv through a perforation, not shown, in the closure plate |06, and through a central bore |21 in a cylindrical block |28 xed by brazing or otherwiseto the top of` the plate |06 and having upon its top algraduated scale |30 of pounds and fractions thereof. A pointer |3I upon the to-p of the pin |25 cooperates with the scale for indicating weight.

A container |35 for the paper bag |36 into which the articles are `fed from the discharge opening 42 ofthe hopper, asshown in Figures 6 and 7 comprises a bottom |31,` fourv side walls |38, a horizontal flange. |39 upon the bottom, and inwardly directed normallyhorizontal bearing plates or strips |40 attached by hinges |4| to the tops of two opposite walls. may be swung to broken line position to admit a fresh bag. The container rests uponthe platform I IIlvand an inturned marginal flange |42 upon the latter overlaps the flange |39 with'a moderate degree of friction and with su'icient looseness tore'nder the container readily detachable. '1 v The inner plane edges of 'the bearing strips abut against the side of the bag |36 whose bottom rests upon the bottom |31 of the receptacle, and forces the bag into contact with a quadrilateral sleeve |45 having a flaring top portion |46,and upon two of its side walls `are elongated external shoulders |48 `in a horizontal plane slightly above the clamping plates whereby the wall of the bag is frictionally clamped into engagement with the strips |40, and the bag is thus retained against sliding landr collapse-as "the `articles fall therein. The sleeve includes resilient depending laterally tapering portions or ngers' `I 49`to facilitate introductionv into the container. The ange portion |46 of the sleeve spreads'the-bag mouth as the articles enter the bag. After the bag is lled A guide rod H5', de-

The strips weight of the load as the sleeve is removed and the filled bag is withfrom engagement with the flange |42, and place the members 25 and |35 in cooperative relation to each other upon the floor |52 as shown in Figure 8, where the floor isutilized as a base, when for lack of room the larger base I4 would not be as practical. The tilting or rocking action of the hopper when resting on the floor as a base is effected by the direct contact of the base |52 with the intermediate curved'portions of the bottom edges 34 of the side walls 29 andstraight portions of said edges of the side walls` according to the wholly manual impulse and control of the operator.

In Figure 9 the detached hopper is also shown mounted with an adjustable stopping means for controlling theextent of downward travel of the front of the hopper relatively to the height of the container. This means consists of a cross bar |54 rotatably mounted in perforations |55 in the extensions of the side walls. Fixed to the cross bar adjacent the extensions are two plates |51 and |58, each alike in peripheral outline which has a plurality, in this instance four, radial arms |69. The face of each of the arms of the plate |58 has a knob |63 equidistant from its inner end adapted to successively enter recess |55 in the adjacent extension when the plates are manually turned for adjustment purposes.

The cooperation. of the hopper with the weighing means and with the paper bag container, saves time in merchandising potatoes or other vegetables. The construction of the container whereby the paper bag is not torn during the reception of the contents of the hopper facilitates the packaging operation. The rocking character of the hopper permits its loading end to approachy `the plane of the base whereby loading a heavy sack requires little effort, and the delivery end of the hopper by its downward tilt so shifts the to utilize gravity to assist in the delivery of the hopper contents to the receptacle.

The elevated position of the sack compartment 59 relatively to the floor of the bin 50 further assists the delivery of the contents of the sack 11 when the forward portion of the hopper is downwardly tilted, and during such movement the height of the floor 3T of the sack compartment relatively to the height of the floor 39 of the bin, as defined by the depending wall 38 prevents the mouth of the sack 'Il from being choked by an unusual accumulation of the contents of the bag in the bin. The means for adjusting the hooks 68 adapts the latter to sacks of different sizes. The converging plates 44 guide the contents of the bin to the discharge opening. When the forward end of the hopper is downwardly tilted into delivery position the contents of the bin are thereby propelled through the delivery opening 42, the door 56 being manually opened for that purpose by the operator who lifts the arm 55 to the broken line position shown vin Figure 4. The longitudinal adjustment of the counterweight 5G upon the arm 55 controls the degree of resistance of the door to the contents of the bin, and thus minimizes the efforts of the operator in opening or closing the door. The cooperating agitator 81 assists delivery of the contents of the hopper and tends to break up any congestion of material adjacent the doorway.

to detach thel 20, and pull the bag container |35' The described different means for adjusting the elevation of the forward end of rthe hopper relatively to the height of the receptacle |35 are of advantage when employed.

I claim: v

.ULA device of thel character described, coin-y prising a hopper having a discharge opening therein, a door1 pivotally mounted on said hopper above the opening, a counterweight connected with the door and acting on the door for normally holding the same in a closed position., means for supporting said hopper for rocking movement, and means slidable along the floor of said hopper and actuated by the movement of said door for agitating the contents of the hopper during the discharge. y

2. A device of the character describedfcornprising a hopper having a sack compartment at one end thereof and a bin at the other end thereof, said bin having a discharge opening at the last-mentioned end thereof and having a bottom below the bottom of the sack compartment and communicating therewith, means for supporting said hopper for rocking movement to cause flow of the contents from the sack compartment to the bin and to discharge the contents of the bin through said opening, and means slidable along the floor of said bin for agitating the contents thereof during the discharge.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a hopper having a sack compartment at one end thereof and a bin at the other end thereof, said bin having a discharge opening at the last-mentioned end thereof and havinga bottom below the bottom of the sack compartment with an upwardly extending abutment between said compartment and bin, means for supporting said hopper for arcuate reciprocatory movement to impel the contents thereof through the discharge opening, and the means slidable along the iioor of said bin for agitating the contents thereof during the discharge.

4. A device of the character described, comprising a hopper having a sack compartment at one end thereof and a bin at the other end thereof, said bin having a discharge opening at the last-mentioned end thereof and having a bottom below the bottom of the sack compartment and provided with screening openings, means for supporting said hopper for rocking movement to bin having a bottom below the bottom of the sack compartment and provided with screening openings, said hopper having a discharge opening at one end portion thereof, a door pivotally connected with the hopper and normally tending to close the discharge opening, a rod pivotally connected with the bottom portion of the 'door and slidable in the guide opening, and an upright agitator finger connected with the rod for movement in the hopper. i

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a support, a hopper mounted on the support for bodily tilting movement comprising a sack compartment in its rear end, a bin lil' partment, and a depending extension below the compartment and bin, said bin being provided With a discharge opening, and said extension being provided near its rear end with `a socket, a resilient arm interposed between the hopper and the support, and a nub upon the arm registerable in the socket when the hopper is tilted.

'7. In a device of the character described, a hopper having side and end walls and a bottom, the side walls having downward extensions fixed thereto and depending below the bottom and terminating in centrally disposed convex edge portions, said hopper having a discharge opening in one end thereof, a door mounted in position to close said opening, and means normally tending to hold the door closed when said hopper is pivin its other end communicating with the cornotedabout the centrally disposed convex edge portions so that said opening is in a raised posi-- gral downward extensions projectng below the bottom and terminating in lower edges, the lower edge of the edge extension having a central portion and upwardly inclined lateral portions on opposite sides of the central portion, a doorV mounted on said hopper in position .to close said discharge opening, and means normally tending to hold the door in closed position.

JAMES A. MELVILLE."v 

